The invention relates to a method of automatically calibrating a control means of an apparatus for providing domestic animals with a feed which, or the constituent parts of which, passes/pass from supply containers into a mixing container which is in connection with a removal location.
The operation of providing domestic animals with feed nowadays mostly takes place automatically. This applies, in particular, to the rearing of young animals (calves, piglets, lambs inter alia) for which so-called automatic drinkers are used. In these automatic drinkers, constituent parts of the feed are mixed in a mixing container and supplied to a sucking location. The constituent parts of the feed may pass into the mixing container from supply containers or from corresponding supply lines. This term supply containers is intended to cover all possible means of supply to the mixing container.
It is precisely for the purpose of rearing, however, that the addition of feed has to take place very precisely in order to achieve a favorable fattening result. This means that the mixing ratio in which the individual constituent parts of the feed are mixed with one another in the mixing container, and supplied to the sucking location, has to be determined precisely.
Up until now, the total quantity and a fair number of individual portion quantities have merely been determined manually. This takes place at well-spaced apart time intervals and without any great precision. Irregularities which occur between said intervals cannot be detected and corrected. For example it is possible, with the addition of milk powder, for an outlet on the milk-powder-supply container to become gummed up at short time intervals since there may be high air humidity in the region of the automatic drinker. The milk powder is hygroscopic and narrows the outlet opening of the supply container by the gumming-up action, with the result that, over a certain time over which the outlet opening of the supply container is open, with a narrowed outlet, a relatively small quantity of milk powder passes into the mixing container. This means that the mixing ratio is no longer correct. If this is detected, then the corresponding outlet has to be cleaned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,677,503 describes a calibrating method for volume measurement and an apparatus for implementing the method, in which, via a plurality of independent containers, different ingredients are supplied to common scales, weighed there and, following the weighing operation, supplied to a mixing container.
The object of the present invention is automatically to monitor the addition of a feed and, in particular, the mixing ratio of the individual constituent parts of the feed, and to adapt the supply of constituent parts of the feed to changed values.